Hawaii and DOE Sign Agreement to Advance Hawaiian Clean Energy

January 30, 2008

The State of Hawaii and DOE formed a partnership on January 28 that will
work towards dramatically shifting Hawaii's energy system from one
that is fueled primarily by oil to one that is powered primarily by
renewable energy. Governor Linda Lingle and Alexander Karsner, DOE's
assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy, signed
a long-term Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish the
partnership, called the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. The
partnership aims to have 70% of all of Hawaii's energy needs generated
by renewable energy sources by 2030, cutting crude oil consumption in
the state by 72%. It will start with seven joint working groups that
will tackle the topics of transportation, energy efficiency, power
generation, power delivery, technology integration, sustained
financing, and policy and regulatory mechanisms. That work will
identify the mechanisms that Hawaii will need to implement to meet its
energy goals.

Through the new partnership, DOE will help Hawaii to develop its
renewable energy resources, including wind, biomass, solar, ocean, and
geothermal energy. The partnership will focus on both public and
private sectors, and will simultaneously target various energy
efficient opportunities. DOE and Hawaii also aim to design cost-effective approaches to using renewable energy exclusively on the
smaller islands; design systems to improve the stability of electric
grids operating with variable generating sources; minimize energy use
and maximize energy efficiency at military housing developments; and
expand Hawaii's ability to use locally grown crops and byproducts for
fuels and electricity. See the DOE press release,
Governor Lingle's press release,
and the full text of the MOU
(PDF 180 KB).
Download Adobe Reader.

Governor Lingle got a head start on the shift to renewable energy in
early January, when she announced plans to install solar photovoltaic
power systems at 12 locations around the state. The systems will have
a combined capacity to produce as much as 34 megawatts of solar power.
Eleven solar power systems will be installed at facilities owned by
the state's Department of Transportation (DOT), including seven
airports, and one will be installed at the Hawaii Foreign-Trade Zone
in downtown Honolulu. The DOT is currently soliciting proposals and
intends to have all systems installed and operating within two years.
Responses are due today. See the governor's press release
and the request for proposals.